« Nationalism has, among other evils, bred that of a powerful bureaucracy in each state: a rigid centralization, and a deplorable uniformity within each frontier exactly corresponding to the violent contrast between either side of that frontier.

The worship of the nation has been able to make men tolerate under its authority what they could never have tolerated from princes: a submission to rule, which, through sumptuary laws on food and drink, through conscription, through a cast-iron system of compulsory instruction for all on State-ordered lines, and through a State examination at the gate of every profession, has almost killed the citizen’s power to react upon that which controls him, and has almost destroyed that variety which is the mark of life. »

Barcelona boasts dazzling architecture, fabulous food, abundant sunshine, and a stylish, laid-back vibe. No wonder a record 7.6 million people are expected to visit Barcelona this year. It’s now the third most visited city in Europe, behind London and Paris, and ranks No. 12 worldwide, according to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index released on June 3.

Barcelona Mayor-elect Ada Colau Ballano doesn’t think this is good news. Colau, who leads a coalition of environmentalists and social activists that won municipal elections in May, says the tourism surge is making the city uninhabitable for its 1.7 million residents.

Local authorities have tried to control the swarms. They require time-restricted entry tickets for such top attractions as Gaudi’s Parc Güell and the Sagrada Familia cathedral and forbid tour groups from entering La Boqueria during peak shopping times. But Colau wants to go even further. She told the newspaper El Pais on June 1 that she will place a moratorium on approving new hotel rooms and short-term rentals and will develop a plan to ensure that Barcelona doesn’t « end up like Venice. »

Barcelona’s situation isn’t yet that extreme. For one thing, it’s much bigger than Venice. Public-opinion surveys show that residents are overwhelmingly pro-tourism, except for those living in a few heavily trafficked neighborhoods, says Greg Richards, a professor at the NHTV Breda University in the Netherlands who has studied Barcelona tourism. « There is no sign of a tipping point » at which the costs of tourism could outweigh its benefits, he says. Visitors spend $13.9 billion annually in Barcelona, and the tourist industry supports an estimated 100,000 jobs.